Malcolm Turnbull: The Ghost Who Talks
I believe in ghosts. Most Sri Lankan-born men, women or children generally believe in the misty world of ghosts, spirits…
Cancel culture’s double fault against Margaret Court
There’s a new phrase du jour to describe methods in current use by the aggrieved and disaffected, those that feel called…
Will two tigers clash over Sri Lanka – India and China?
Elections in the subcontinent often have a ‘nothing to see here’ feeling, mainly because, through a heritage of colonial rule,…
Andrew Hastie and James Paterson are safe on our soil, but where are Liu Hu and Dong Rubin?
Senator James Paterson and West Australian Liberal Andrew Hastie have stoutly and correctly refused to ‘repent’ as requested by the…
Labor learns the limits of identity politics
As usual, Shakespeare said it best: The weight of this sad time we must obey Speak what we feel, not…
What now for Hong Kong – and our China appeasers?
Working at Radio Hong Kong during the Cultural Revolution was my first introduction to politics in China. It was a…
We need to talk about the United Nations – and the drought
You have a nice place on the beach. You’re a generous host. You’ve been gracious to numerous people in the…
Love in a Cold War climate
Much indignation and acres of news space has been given over to excoriating the American decision – President Trump’s decision,…
Meeting Heather Henderson
Last week’s Sitting Week was a busy time in Parliament House; bills to be tabled, lines of visitors streaming down…
GetUp’s child slavery
In or around 1212, according to legend, bands of children from northern Europe led by a boy Stephen of Cloyes…
Gambling — and losing — on bleeding hearts
Priya and Nades Murugappan, the Tamil couple from Biloela in Queensland, and their unfortunate children must wish they had not…
Press freedom – is the ABC self-censoring to advance its own agendas?
Much has been said about the freedom of the press in recent weeks. There have been several important confabs about…
Kashmir in happier times
In the nineteen-thirties, my parents, middle class, mixed-race Burghers from then-Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, honeymooned in Kashmir. It was a…
Public servants who serve? Ministers who lead? Very courageous, Prime Minister
In 1980 when Laurie Oakes, was leaked the Budget papers in the Treasury car park and revealed his trove on…
A soirée with the Steggalls
Australia is the Big Country. Yet, in some ways, in some Sydney circles, it’s very small. Members of the Australian…
The public service are about to be told: pull your weight
The unexpected May 18 election results sent a chill through the ranks of Canberra’s public service class. Now, the Secretary…
Goodbye, Hong Kong?
I worked as a journalist, both in print and radio, in what used to be the British Crown Colony of…
KBO, ScoMo. KBO
“He’s his own man now, not beholden to anyone or any faction.” The words, spoken mournfully, came from a rusted-on…
With media mates like this it’s no wonder Labor lost
It’s ironic that Labour’s defeat may be sheeted home to some of its strongest, most vocal allies; the supposed national…
Bob Brown’s Adani convoy: an invasive species on the move
Australia has, throughout our history, been subjected to invasive species. Rabbits, cane toads, prickly pear and Indian mynah birds are…
Election 2019: A song of Lies and Ire
The dragons are back – as is Cercei, Jon Snow, Danerys Targeryn, Sansa and Arya Stark and the rest of…
Quit ya whinging, Turnbull
There is a long-held tradition that Australian notables do not criticise their country, its leaders, government or policies when overseas.…
She’s tackled everything, but can Ita tame the ABC?
In the halcyon days of magazines in Sydney in the seventies, one name was spoken with admiration tinged with –admit…
The media won’t tell you, but it’s the middle-class rioting in France
One less-reported fact about the Paris ‘yellow vest’ riots is that they have sparked by small business traders, petit bourgeois,…
Truth tellers, beware
“Tell the truth and shame the devil,” the Inquisitors would say But for some truth tellers, misery – even death…
